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Freedb.org Seeks Volunteers
dtype writes "freedb.org is asking for your help. With the ever increasing popularity of freedb, the all-volunteer service has required more and more time. Joerg Hevers has been absorbing the brunt of the load for some time now, and we should all thank him for that. We're now looking for volunteers who would like to spend time on this great service, so that we can continue to serve the community at expected levels."
Um... isn't that why freedb was created in the first place? As an alternative to cddb? I thought that once cddb got bought out, and started charging people to access their servers, freedb was spawned as a free alternative. (I could be wrong on that though..)
Now we're supposed to go back to cddb? um...
Place sig here.
Wrong. Freedb.org was started as a replacement for CDDB not the other way around. Maybe you should read up on why this project exists in the first place.
Prevent email address forgery. Publish SPF records for y
There is. Everything from freedb is GPL'd, and always available for download.
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Drew Streib, dtype.org
I know you think you're funny, but it is decidedly *not* funny to encourage people to support an organization that gained it's position by exploiting average consumers, and maintains their position through the abuse of the United States legal system.
Furthermore, I have never seen - and Gracenote has seemingly never provided - evidence that they have turned a profit on the rape of their initial users labor. They could be gone tomorrow, and it is more likely that they will go away then freedb.
Ever read the ccdb developer's license? Basically, it says that if you use ccdb in your product, you are contractually obligated not to use any other source of information about cd content.
In other words, "if you want to use us, we get to be a monopoly". Your application can't even offer the end user an option to select between using ccdb and some other cd databse.
Sorry. Even Microsoft doesn't require a developer to use only its API if he uses any part of Microsoft's API.
Screw ccdb: I'll type in the song names before I'll use a service that tries to arrogate itself to monopoly status, especially when they rely on end users to do the actual data entry.
Opinions on the Twiddler2 hand-held keyboard?
How about clicking on the 'About' link?
It's really not tough. It's almost, dare I say, intuitive. Slashdot's homepage doesn't have a description about how it works, but even you managed to figure it out. So why are you complaining?
No, the OP has a good point. Too many open source home pages start with a change log. Nice for people already in the know, but I've wasted too much time clicking around for some summary of what the project's all about.
Opinions on the Twiddler2 hand-held keyboard?
The only time that someone needs an overview of a project is the first time they check it out. If that person is too lazy to click two links to get a general overview, then I don't think it's the open source home page that has the problem.
Well, OK.
But you do see that this is the problem your typical Windows user has with open source, right? That it's too complicated, too obscure, too concerned with "in-crowd" obfuscation and jargonizing, and not anywhere as user-friendly as Microsoft's talking paper-clip?
No way I'm going to devote hours and hours to a project, just to see it languish without users because I can't point to a crisp, clear, informative homepage.
But if you have other agendas, like showing the in-crowd how cool and terse your documentation can be, so be it. Whatever floats your boat, it's all good.
Opinions on the Twiddler2 hand-held keyboard?
One that acts as a proxy to intercept requests going out to CDDB.
This is a direct violation of the DMCA. The CDDB protocol version 2 (used in newer apps) is proprietary and encrypted, and it controls access to a copyrighted compilation of data maintained by Gracenote. However, for CDDB 1 apps, a napigator-like program that intercepts DNS for cddb.com should work fine.
DeMoCrAcy?
Will I retire or break 10K?
For example, freedb is open source, which means anyone can upload track listings. The result is 30 spellings of "Oops I did it again!", while anything that isn't in the top 40 is unrecognized.
I'll grant you the spelling issues, but I have a fairly eclectic collection, and I think the only one that freedb came up empty on was an obscure local band. Anyway, if it misses, you add them for the next person. That's the whole point of the system, isn't it? If you just want to leach off of the work of others, then stick with CDDB.